Pass or Fail?: Los Angeles Kings Entrance Castle

As we all learned when in kindergarten, kings live in castles. When kings battle other kings and their armies, they leave their castle for the battlefield.

So, why am I pissed off when I see the Los Angeles Kings leave their papier mache castle? Why do I feel like cheering, but also like hiding my face?

I think it’s because I haven’t decided whether the Kings’ Castle is super awesome or super lame.

The first time I saw Kings’ Castle, I was embarrassed. I felt like the organization had phoned it in. The castle looked more like a high school play backdrop than a dramatic entrance for a professional hockey club.

The Red Wings have Al the Octopus, the Sharks have a fierce shark that they skate through, and the Kings have Taft High School’s student-built set from their 1999 production of ‘Curse of Gingerbread Castle’.

It was a unique idea (for the Kings, at least) that I felt had a lot of potential. For that, I think King Castle is kinda cool.

I mean, Kings coming out of a castle? I dig it. It makes the entrance a lot better than the typical grainy shot of the team walking through the hallway to the ice.

But to slap a $45 fake castle to the front of a doorway doesn’t really enhance the experience that much.

The Kings’ current entrance is indeed super lame. But it could easily be super awesome- here’s what I propose:

Hire a an actual Hollywood propmaster (not like there isn’t one to be found in LA) to build a 15-foot high castle facade that can be brought out and placed in front of the corner entrance- pump some smoke onto the ice, light some fire on both sides, and watch the boys emerge from the wooden doors onto their frozen battlefield.

C’mon guys, this is Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world. If we are being outdone by San Jose and Detroit, we should all be embarrassed. I don’t think this is too much to ask for.

Comments

Listen dip wad. I actually worked on that castle. Its made of fiberglass and the doors are real wood. You couldnt lift it if you tried. It wasnt from a school play, it was built by professionals. If you were expecting mile high spires you have to remember they have to set up and take down the prop every time they use it. Make it too big and it becomes a problem. We cant help that their purple lights make it look like a play house.

I appreciate what you are saying. The set-up and knock-down would be tedious, that’s for sure. Perhaps the Kings could have a castle facade that drops down from the rafters (similar to what the Sharks and Wings have). Were you involved in design or construction (or both)?

I just feel that the Kings could have come up with a more convincing design.

The lighting is definitely a problem, and there are many subtle things that could make it better- a draw bridge, even a draw bridge sound effect would be cool. Some fog somewhere would make it look better. Maybe some sword sound effects. I mean, Medieval Times is mainly for kids but it still doesn’t look that cheesy. Of course, to be taken into account are certain limitations- 1) the set up and take down every night that you rightly mentioned 2) the fact that Staples Center is used for tons of things, hence nothing could probably be permanently hung from the ceiling, though it would be cool.